Peace in the Quran

Islamic activism. This means that, in unfavourable situations, no emotional move is made; rather, by avoiding the path of reaction and retaliation, actions are planned on the basis of realism. This principle can briefly be called positive activism. That is, without interfering with the prevailing state of affairs, one should try to discover opportunities as they occur and avail of them. To initiate one’s actions by challenging the status quo amounts to choosing a negative starting point. On the other hand, maintaining the status quo and availing of all opportunities which present themselves amounts to taking a positive course of action. This method can briefly be called positive status quoism, for which a complete scheme can be chalked out in the light of the Seerah (biography) of the Prophet. 1. Positive Status Quoism in Religious Affairs The Prophet Muhammad  received his first prophetic call in 610 A.D. in Makkah. This city was dominated by idolaters, who had placed in the Kaaba 360 idols belonging to various Arabian tribes. The Kaaba had, therefore, become a religious centre for all these tribes. The presence of these idols in the Kaaba was totally against the beliefs of the Prophet, an upholder of monotheism in the true sense of the word. Yet rather than make efforts to upset the status quo in Makkah, he fully engaged himself in his task of spreading the word of God, availing of whatever opportunities were available—despite the presence of the idols. In those days the Kaaba was the gathering point of the inhabitants of Makkah, and meetings were held there almost daily. The Prophet began to make use of these gatherings for the purposes of dawah. On his visit to the Kaaba, instead of interfering with the idols, he would go to the people and recite the verses of the Quran to them. This policy of avoiding the idols and availing of dawah opportunities proved to be a